Stuff you have fixed today

[RWD3M]

Today I made a useful modification to my roll cab top box. In order to access the drawers, the lid of the top box needs to be open. When the lid is down the drawers are automatically locked. This is a pain in the a*** as I rarely need what's in the top and usually store items on top of the lid. The locking mechanism which uses a spring loaded plunger to move a vertical bar down behind the drawers can not be disconnected, so after pondering it a bit, I came up with a simple idea which works, and is reversible.

To make a short story long , the procedure was to first compress the plunger down and out of the way, which I did by using several small wrenches. Next was to mark and drill an 8mm hole where the plunger contacted the locking tab. This allowed the plunger to remain in the up ( unlocked ) position when the lid is closed. I then punched a hole just inside the edge of a knock out plug, which was from a galvanized electrical switch box, and positioned it to cover the drilled hole in the lid's locking tab. A small hole was then drilled on the edge of the locking tab and tapped for a 6-32 screw to retain and adjust the position of the knock out plug so that the tool box can be locked again when desired. I'm happy with the result as I can now utilize the drawers with the lid down.

Hopefully the photos will be self explanatory.

View attachment 300510 View attachment 300511 View attachment 300513 View attachment 300514 View attachment 300517 View attachment 300518

Those Craftsman tools are a lovely sight. Just like my tool box

 

[Craig-SM]

Those Craftsman tools are a lovely sight. Just like my tool box

View attachment 301344

I won't show you my toolbox, it will send you into a panic attack

 

[Moose McAlpine]

I won't show you my toolbox, it will send you into a panic attack

Another forum i'm on has a "Show Us Your Toolbox" thread. It's both the best and worst thing.

 

[Craig-SM]

I'm not searching for that!

 

[123hotchef]

Today I made a useful modification to my roll cab top box. In order to access the drawers, the lid of the top box needs to be open. When the lid is down the drawers are automatically locked. This is a pain in the a*** as I rarely need what's in the top and usually store items on top of the lid. The locking mechanism which uses a spring loaded plunger to move a vertical bar down behind the drawers can not be disconnected, so after pondering it a bit, I came up with a simple idea which works, and is reversible.

To make a short story long , the procedure was to first compress the plunger down and out of the way, which I did by using several small wrenches. Next was to mark and drill an 8mm hole where the plunger contacted the locking tab. This allowed the plunger to remain in the up ( unlocked ) position when the lid is closed. I then punched a hole just inside the edge of a knock out plug, which was from a galvanized electrical switch box, and positioned it to cover the drilled hole in the lid's locking tab. A small hole was then drilled on the edge of the locking tab and tapped for a 6-32 screw to retain and adjust the position of the knock out plug so that the tool box can be locked again when desired. I'm happy with the result as I can now utilize the drawers with the lid down.

Hopefully the photos will be self explanatory.

View attachment 300510 View attachment 300511 View attachment 300513 View attachment 300514 View attachment 300517 View attachment 300518

Just close the drawers with the lid closed then they dont get locked

 

[Moose McAlpine]

Just close the drawers with the lid closed then they dont get locked

Don't know about other boxes, but on mine if you shut the top, then shut the drawers (fully) they latch and lock. The locking bars at the back are spring-loaded.

 

[mechman]

I've got a tool heap.

 

[Dilkris]

The pin in my hand had snapped off in the valve cover of this engine, instead of trying to shape the aluminium weld back into a pin, I built it up with weld, then drilled and reamed using a guide block I made, then press fitted a 4mm dowel pin with bondloc 620 for good measure

I am fascinated by this - what did the "pin" in the valve cover actually do?

 

[Brad93]

BunnyBuy

I am fascinated by this - what did the "pin" in the valve cover actually do?

Just orientate the direction of the bracket that holds the rocker arm

 

[Moose McAlpine]

I'm not searching for that!

Well we should start our own then!

 

[RichardM]

One step backward, two forwards!
Well I had a look at the gib on the Y axis and the dovetails / ways were worn. Fortunately the top of the dovetail is a ground surface so I stoned it to get rid of the burrs and used that as a datum. I expected more to be worn but X only has a 0.001" difference along the lenght so I left that. So out came the blue, granite block and posh oilstones.

This is half way though:



Drilled and tapped a couple of holes in the end to attach a way cover.



So now I have no movement in the DTI through the X and Y axis travel


So back to where I started from - nearly I've also swapped the oilers for ball type as I can just pump oil in ( made an right angle one for the one above the knee gearbox as it is hard to get to with the belt on.


So next motor decisions - 1/2hp 1ph as it came with or put a 3/4hp 3ph and vfd - and waiting for the new top belt to arrive.

 

[Barking Mat]

Today I fixed a hopper (? Is that the word?), from a combine harvester.

The corn is very abrasive, and had cut a hole about 5 cms by 1 cm in the bend of the hopper.

I was asked to fix it with stainless steel.

I think I ground the galv off, then tryed to bend a bit of plate into shape.

I ended up tacking it with the tig, hammering and clamping it.

It was horrible to weld, and I made a shocking mess, but the farmer was very happy.

First tig welds in over a year, shocking mess, but hey.

 

[Moose McAlpine]

Today I fixed a hopper (? Is that the word?), from a combine harvester.

Discharge chute.

Same thing found on wood chippers, often needing the same repair.

 

[Barking Mat]

Discharge chute.

Same thing found on wood chippers, often needing the same repair.

Fortunately the blurry photo masks my shocking tig welding.

Thanks for educating me @Moose McAlpine .

 

[123hotchef]

So today I made a new mark 2 steering idler brace. Nothing wrong with the rough n ready mark 1 idler brace but I want to start selling them. This mk2 will be tested at the weekend at the L200 big camp meet.

 

[Moose McAlpine]

Fortunately the blurry photo masks my shocking tig welding.

It's stuck together, what more do you want?

I got roped into welding a new sill onto a Polo years ago. I TIG'd the whole thing, laying on my back. About 12' of weld. Absolutely horrendous. I flap wheel'd it back to a perfect weld and blasted it with underseal..

 

[Barking Mat]

It's stuck together, what more do you want?

I got roped into welding a new sill onto a Polo years ago. I TIG'd the whole thing, laying on my back. About 12' of weld. Absolutely horrendous. I flap wheel'd it back to a perfect weld and blasted it with underseal..

I flap disked it, I think I've gas issues, had gas issues for a while, could be regulator or the pipe, or the torch...

But it glued it together...

 

[VeryFEDUP]

I fixed a Henry!
Driving down the road I spied him at the side of the road waiting for one of the endless scrap men to cart him off. I need a hose in order to make a cyclone. Having asked at the house, I was told he was very old and had failed suddenly without a bang or magic smoke. I got him back to the garage and thought I might as well check the fuse. This is about the limit of my electrickery knowledge.
I couldn't help but notice the shocking (d'oh) state of the wiring. Frayed stuff everywhere with the outer seemingly torn back and the plug cable clamp bypassed.
I opened it up and the brass rings on the top that take the power were filthy. I cleaned them and did the plug properly and he fired up like a good 'un.

I'll take him back tomorrow. Here he looking quietly smug with his new found lease of life:

Still need a hose now!

 

[Feet 'n Inches]

Today I fixed a hopper (? Is that the word?), from a combine harvester.

The corn is very abrasive, and had cut a hole about 5 cms by 1 cm in the bend of the hopper.

I was asked to fix it with stainless steel.

I think I ground the galv off, then tryed to bend a bit of plate into shape.

I ended up tacking it with the tig, hammering and clamping it.

It was horrible to weld, and I made a shocking mess, but the farmer was very happy.

First tig welds in over a year, shocking mess, but hey.View attachment 301416

That could end up looking like a chute we frequently repaired down at a local quarry. Virtually every member of the team went out and patched it when it wore through so it ended up looking like one of those Aztec pyramids laid on its side as each patch was smaller than the last. The quarry firm was too tight to replace the chute.

 

[Fraserb]

That could end up looking like a chute we frequently repaired down at a local quarry. Virtually every member of the team went out and patched it when it wore through so it ended up looking like one of those Aztec pyramids laid on its side as each patch was smaller than the last. The quarry firm was too tight to replace the chute.

It looks like the blower pipe from a kongskilde blower system, patching them like that was always a temporary measure.